After sustaining an injury, you may seek the help of a chiropractor. Chiropractic care can lead to faster healing time than other traditional medical routes. But, depending on the state of your injury, it may still take a considerable amount of time before you take on certain physical activities again. In today’s day and age, we have a habit of not wanting to wait for anything. So, when patients hear how long personal injury chiropractor treatment takes to achieve healing, they can sometimes be discouraged. While you will not always get instant, long-term relief from back pain, by seeing a chiropractor, you want to make sure you get fast treatment that works for your schedule.
Consider the Process
During your first trip to the chiropractor, history and information of your condition will be gathered by your chiropractor so he or she can assess the severity of your injury. Your chiropractor must know where your pain is located and how long you have been dealing with this pain, so they can come up with a healing plan. Your personal injury chiropractor will treat your pain, but they also want to address the main issue that is causing the pain.
When learning the length of time you must see a personal injury chiropractor, you must consider the entire process of treatment. For example, if you have a spinal disc injury, you know that recovery will not be overnight. It generally takes three months to heal any disc injuries through chiropractic care, before you can resume your normal daily activities like sitting, bending, lifting and twisting. You should treat your back pain like a broken arm or leg. These body parts will stop hurting after being in a cast for a few days, but the cast must still be worn many weeks afterward to enable healing. After receiving initial chiropractic treatment for your back, remember that you are still healing, even if you don’t feel any pain. This healing can take a while, but with a professional chiropractor, healing will be efficient.
The Expected Recovery Time With Chiropractic Care
Some chiropractors will implement protocols, similar to that of the “50% Rule,” when treating spinal injuries. The goal within the first 30 days of care is for you to experience 50% relief of pain. Radicular pain, such as pain down a leg or arm, may take longer than spinal pain. Many people report 50% less pain within a day or two, but some do take two or three weeks of regular appointments. For every time that you demonstrate 50% relief of pain, your chiropractic treatment sessions will be cut in half. If you were seeing a chiropractor daily, for instance, you would then be seen once every two days.
If 50% relief of pain isn’t reported within 30 days of care, your chiropractor will suggest more testing or consultations. Cox Technic Flexion Distraction and Decompression protocols follow the motto “Control, Not Cure” during spinal pain treatment. So, if you have a slipped disc, it can cause bruising to your spine area. For example, with your treatment plan, you may have to learn how to perform proper lifting, bending and twisting techniques to control your back pain. You may also need to do some light exercise, to help control spinal pain. Also, you might need to focus more on thinking before acting, to help control pain in the neck and lower back.
What the Clinical Data Says
Cox Technic protocols are published standards implemented by many chiropractic practices. 30 chiropractic clinics covered 1,000 lower back pain cases, and according to this collection of clinical data, 293 different variables were collected from and/or about each patient regarding the patient and their symptoms. This case study revealed the number of days to maximum improvement, which is 100% relief of pain. According to the study, three months of care, can help people return to their pre-injury state. The mean number of days was 29 and the number of visits was 12.
However, not all conditions require the same number of days and visits. The severity of the symptoms of an injury will lead to varying results. Examples of this include an L5 disc herniation and a lumbar sprain. After receiving chiropractic treatment, 86% of patients maximally improved in less than three months. 64% of these patients required fewer than 20 visits to the chiropractor, and 70% required fewer than 30 visits. 91% of lumbar sprain patients maximally improved in less than three months. 71% of these patients required fewer than 20 visits, and 91% required fewer than 30 visits.
Core Personal Injury Chiropractor Treatment
Depending on what kind of pain you suffer from, core chiropractic care can help you feel noticeably better after you get treatment. One general indicator of improvement occurs within one to four weeks from starting personal injury chiropractic treatment. However, this is for simple musculoskeletal conditions. The core chiropractic treatment typically involves manual therapy that targets the lower back.
Mobilization, manual manipulation and spinal manipulation are all methods chiropractors use in their treatment sessions. Mobilization is low-velocity manipulation, stretching and movement of both muscles and joints. The goal of mobilization is to increase motion in these areas in the shortest amount of time possible.
Manual and spinal manipulation are both high-velocity types of manipulation, which include short lever arm thrusts applied to abnormal vertebra. This helps to improve functionality, reduce irritation and restoring motion. It takes one to four weeks to regain functionality after receiving high-velocity chiropractic treatment.
Personal Injury Chiropractor Treatment Depends on the Injury
Personal injuries vary between body parts. When seeing a personal injury chiropractor, the location of your injury makes a difference. For example, bone injuries can heal the quickest within five to six weeks. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the average healing time from bone injuries is six to eight weeks. Ligament and tendon injuries also take an average of six to eight weeks to heal. Any damage to discs, as well as cartilage, takes at least three months to heal.
Chiropractic Program Plans
Chiropractors have the responsibility of doing all they can to reduce pain and restore functionality as quickly as possible for their patients. To have the most successful outcome possible, patients should make sure to attend all sessions of their chiropractic program plan. A chiropractic plan generally includes stretches and other types of exercises along with ergonomic tools like pillows, belts and back supports. Not attending all sessions can lead to an increase in the amount of time needed for proper recovery.
There are many factors that will determine how quickly you respond to treatment. Your age, fitness level, and how long you have had the pain are all factors that impact your response to treatment. Younger patients in their 20s and 30s respond quicker to treatment than older patients. The older you are, the more time you will need to respond positively to treatment.
You Decide On Your Treatment
At the end of the day, it is up to you to decide what type of treatment you want. You know your body’s strengths and weaknesses. You decide on how much exercise you want to have during the course of a treatment plan. Exercise helps your body heal. You don’t need to have an intense exercise program in place. Just getting out every day for 30-minute walks will make a difference. Especially if you have been dealing with a particular kind of pain that prevents you from performing a favorite exercise of yours, it is ideal to seek chiropractic treatment right away. If you know the pain in your body is worsening, delaying a visit to a chiropractor won’t do you any favors.
Visit a Personal Injury Chiropractor
If you need help from a personal injury chiropractor, contact us! Dr. Derek Finger, our personal injury chiropractor in Pensacola, can help you achieve healing. Our team would love to help you get freedom from your back pain quickly. To see how long treatment will take, our licensed chiropractor can give you an estimate depending on your injuries.
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